A wireless network may be employed to transmit data from a number of remote meters to a collection device. An automated meter reading (AMR) device may be placed at or near each of the meters to read meter data from the meters and then transmit the meter data over the wireless network to the collection device or an intermittent relay device. To reduce costs and to meet targeted operational life expectancies, these AMR devices may often be transmit only battery powered devices. At a minimum, the AMR devices must have an electrical connection to the meters that they are reading. The AMR devices may often operate in harsh environments in which they are exposed to natural elements which can easily damage the interior circuitry of the devices. For example, AMR devices for water meters may often be located in the harsh underground environment of a water pit. Thus, it is desirable to limit the number of electrical connections to and from the AMR devices, as such connections may provide a potential path of exposure to natural elements.
A limitation of conventional AMR devices is that the AMR devices may include multiple electrical connections, thereby providing multiple potential paths of exposure to natural elements. For example, conventional AMR devices may include different electrical connections for data communication with a meter, supplying power to a meter, receiving programming information from a programming device, and possibly other connections as well. Any one of these multiple connections may be responsible for causing extensive damage to an AMR device. In some circumstances, an AMR device may have an attached radio receiver that provides the communications path required for programming and test. While the radio enables communications with the device without the negative aspects of a secondary direct connection, the use of such radio receivers presents other drawbacks. In particular, such radio receivers raise the cost and complexity of manufacturing of the AMR devices.
In addition to operating in harsh environments, AMR devices may also operate in connection with a wide variety of different types of meters. For example, common types of water meters may include an absolute encoder with synchronous serial operation, an absolute encoder with asynchronous serial operation, a reed switch pulse register, a generator remote register, and possibly other types of meters as well. Another limitation of conventional AMR devices is that they may only be manufactured to operate in connection with a particular type of meter. This means that multiple types of AMR devices may need to be manufactured and obtained for operation in a wireless network with multiple types of meters. Also, this means that it may not be possible to switch meter types without first switching AMR device types, thereby creating an inconvenience and a potential added expense of obtaining a new AMR device.